Gothamist:

Mr. Magoo

Sun, 21 Sep 2003 14:54:49 -0500

Just become a police officer and get a taste of the real thing, it's nothing like you see on tv. I think you would get a taste of reality and wonder "what was I thinking!".

Sat, 20 Sep 2003 04:23:19 -0500

Law & Order & Law & Order & Law & Order & Law & Order ... http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/21/magazine/21LAWORDER.html

Jellyguy

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 16:14:23 -0500

Guys like me don't get elected. We get swept into power by misguided revolutions and bloody military coups. But I'll keep you in mind for my Minister of Culture and Recreational Pharmaceuticals, dear. Funny thing is, our dearly departed Founding Fathers probably had the same gut reaction to the concept of a jury system: "Judged by the people? Ha! The same people who leave manure footprints on my foyer's marble floors when they deliver my freshly-powdered wigs? Those peasants can't even decide which nostril to pick first, let alone the guilt or innocence of a hard-working landowner!"

Jen

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 15:39:24 -0500

eebmore: You can get the hat here, at the NBC Shop JellyGuy: How do I elect you into office for you to propose this wonderful plan? Randee: Cool! Definitely will check that out.

Randee

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 15:06:39 -0500

There's been a whole book written on this type of effect (TV's portrayal of trials, etc. and its effect on not only juries, but lawyers and the legal system): When Law Goes Pop: The Vanishing Line Between Law and Popular Culture by Richard K. Sherwin It's dense reading, but well done. In any case, the idea that L&O specifically would influence juries *against* the prosecution seems pretty ridiculous: The show has as its protaganists/heroes the district attorney's office (and the cops). We nearly always see them working their butts off to countermand the various ways defense attorneys try to get their clients off. Someone needs to remind the Post that shows like "The Practice" are more likely to bias jurors than L&O, if that is in fact happening.

Jellyguy

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 14:43:31 -0500

Why not create a symbiotic merger of the two genres (jury duty and crime drama), skip the whole jury duty process, and create a vote-from-home jury system? Log on to the trial, watch it in full on TV or over the internet, and then vote to BBQ or not to BBQ? Mmmmmmm, BBQ...

eebmore

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 12:57:58 -0500

I'm going to need one of those hats for the next time I get called up for the J-doody. Where can I get one.